1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to wet shaving systems and is directed more particularly to a low-cost highly maneuverable wet shaving device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally known in the art to provide a housing having platform and cap portions adapted to receive a blade means therebetween. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,195,259, issued Aug. 22, 1916 to W. E. O'Reilly, there is shown a platform and cap portion formed from a single piece of metal, the cap overlying the platform.
It is also generally known to embed a blade in a plastic shaving head, the head being permanently attached to a handle, or alternatively, removable from a handle for replacement by another shaving head. U.S. Pat. No. 1,864,995, issued June 28, 1932 to T. H. Frost shows such an arrangement.
More recent examples of plastic shaving heads having blades fixed therein include U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,764, issued Nov. 28, 1972 to Roger L. Perry, U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,070 issued Apr. 3, 1973 to Francis W. Dorion, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,016 issued May 31, 1977 to Warren I. Nissen. While such recent examples have been eminently successful, there is, as always, a need for such products which are less expensive to manufacture and offer improved functional characteristics.
A combination of the simplicity of the O'Reilly device and the more recent blade-in-plastic shaving implements would afford significant cost savings, and at the same time permit manufacture of a more maneuverable, more easily handled shaving implement.
Recognizing that it is only the cutting edge of a razor blade that does a razor's work, there have been attempts to use narrower blades. In most cartridge-type shaving units blades are retained in plastic cartridges by the passing of plastic posts, or pins, through holes in the blades and heading over the posts. While such method has successfully accomplished its goal, the use of "rivets" of this sort requires a blade of a width of about 1/10 inch, limiting to a great extent the degree of narrowness possible. Efforts have been made, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,316, issued Apr. 18, 1978, to John F. Francis, to utilize very narrow blades by way of welding the blades to a support, such as a rigid wire. Welding presents problems by virtue of the heat required and the effect of such heat on the blade metal.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a shaving implement construction which will permit use of blades narrower than 1/10 inch but not such as to subject the blades to harmful temperatures, or other deleterious conditions, during fabrication.